NASA has set March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for the Artemis II mission following a successful second fueling test of its Space Launch System rocket. The test at Kennedy Space Center resolved issues from an earlier attempt marred by a hydrogen leak. The mission will send four astronauts around the Moon in a crewed test of the Orion spacecraft.
The Artemis II mission marks NASA's next step in returning humans to the Moon's vicinity after more than 50 years. On Thursday, technicians at Kennedy Space Center in Florida conducted a second Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, loading over 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant without major leaks. This contrasted with the first attempt on February 2, when a hydrogen leak from the main fueling line exceeded safety limits of 16 percent, prompting a pause, propellant drainage, and seal replacements.
During the successful test, hydrogen sensors registered just 1.6 percent, well below limits. The countdown proceeded nearly on schedule, including two runs of the final 10-minute terminal sequence, ending at T-minus 29 seconds. Minor issues arose, such as a brief loss of ground communications—resolved via backup systems—and a potential problem with the booster avionics system, which engineers are reviewing.
"We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s exploration programs, during a Friday press conference. She added a caveat: "There is still pending work. There’s work, a lot of forward work, that remains." The launch window opens at 8:29 pm EST on March 6 (01:29 UTC on March 7), with backups on March 7, 8, 9, and 11, or possibly April, depending on lunar positioning and other constraints.
The nine- to 10-day mission will carry commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft. The crew will orbit the Moon's far side, setting a record for the farthest human travel from Earth and testing Orion's life support systems as a precursor to future lunar landings at the south pole by 2028.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s Artemis II launch director, described the test as showing "very good performance" from the hydrogen seals. John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis II Mission Management Team, called it "a good day for us," though data analysis continues. Upcoming tasks include a Flight Readiness Review and retesting the rocket’s range safety system. The astronauts entered preflight quarantine in Houston on Friday and will head to Florida five to seven days before launch.
The Teflon seals, which caused issues during the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022, performed better than in prior operations, boosting confidence for the actual launch.
